Help Raise Money for Affordable Housing!

Dear Generous Internet Traveler,

Happy New Year! As you may or may not know, this summer I'm participating in another cross country cycling trip with Bike & Build - and this time as a leader.

Last summer, Bike & Build was one of the most purposeful and meaningful summers I had, and it was made possible thru all the generous donors who helped in alleviating the affordable housing crisis in America.

Bike & Build was an inspiring experience to me and all of the people we touched along our trip. The challenge of each ride combined with the community building my group contributed made waking up every morning just as exciting as the first, and each day richer than the last. Serving others was a privilege and a gift, and I saw firsthand what a group of dedicated and spirited young adults can do. My group fundraised a little over $139,000 last year for affordable housing and built houses all across America (see the attached pictures!).

As a graduating electrical engineering senior of the University of Virginia in just five short months, I have one last free summer before heading off to my first job at Accenture in the fall. I want to use this time to inspire another group of young adults to feel as passionately as I do about making a difference.

I will be leading a cross-country cycling trip with Bike & Build on May 19th for two months, from Virginia Beach, VA to Canon Beach, OR. During the trip, we stop an average of once a week and dedicate a full day to helping a local housing project. With thirty riders on the Central US route alone, plus the other seven routes that Bike & Build runs across the country, there will be nearly 250 volunteers hammering nails, painting walls, and pedaling for the cause this summer.

As I mentioned, each trip has around thirty 18-25 year old young adults, including 4 leaders. I am part of that leadership team, helping plan where we stay, which housing projects to work on, planning meals and the daily rides, as well as keeping the group on track with pre-trip fundraising and training.

In order to participate, I need to raise $4000, but my goal for this trip is to raise $5000 because I know firsthand that the effects this organization has on the communities we pass through is profound.A portion of this money will fund the trip, but Bike & Build (a nonprofit organization) allocates a majority of the money to affordable housing organizations. In my case, part of the money will benefit the Charlottesville Habitat for Humanity. The remainder will be pooled by Bike & Build to make contributions to the affordable housing groups in the communities that we stop in, and for a competitive grant program.

You money will benefit affordable housing in America. Affordable housing is not just an issue, it is a national crisis, and my summer allowed me to see how it spreads to all parts of America and does not disappear.

With your help I can reach and a possibly surpass my goal. You can learn more information from the website www.bikeandbuild.org or feel truly free to ask me. If you can help (between now and April), I hope you will.

Tax deductible donations are accepted:

• online (preferred and easiest), by visiting the Bike & Build website (www.bikeandbuild.org/donate) and by choosing my name (Sharif Morad) from the drop down menu.

• by mailing a check with my name on it to Bike and Build at

Bike & Build, Inc

6109 Ridge Ave Bldg 2

Philadelphia PA 19128

If you work for a company that has a matching gifts program, Bike and Build is eligible.

In the meantime, as part of my commitment to Bike & Build, I’ll be working this spring preparing for the trip, learning about affordable housing, training, and of course- helping to build homes. Many thanks for your support, and don’t forget to tell anyone else who you think might want to donate too!
Sincerely yours,

Sharif


Photo’s From This Past Summer (North Carolina to San Diego 2009)

My trip framing and raising a wall with Habitat for Humanity in Chapel Hill, NC


A group of us built this ramp in one day to make the home wheelchair accessible in Ashville, NC




Laying the foundation for a house in Colorado Springs, CO. The house was completed a week later by another Bike & Build trip that came through and did a week long blitz build.

Round 2? Round 2

Okay, so not actually good-bye. I don't know who I'm trying to kid, but I keep coming back and checking my OWN blog - weeks after this trip ended - expecting something new to be here. This trip is over, though. It was cathartic, life changing, eye opening - whatever you want to call it; experiences like this are nearly too difficult to put to words if you haven't had the experience yourself. Verbalizing it almost cheapens the emotion.

Taking risks, finding the adventure, and living with a greater purpose, however, are things I'm not ready to be over with and I am going to apply to lead a trip next summer. This organization is fantastic and there is no a single reason not to be involved with B&B. Okay maybe there are a couple: the real world, and a job, and money, and all that "grown-up" stuff. And that's important, but that isn't where I've settled in my chapter of life yet. This is the real deal people, I'm obsessed.

Make voyages. Attempt them. There's nothing else.

The end of our adventure

I am sitting on Mission Beach in San Diego. Catching some rays of sun
that aren't too hot at all because I've been used to 100+ degree
weather for the past week. I'm drying because I swam out in the ocean
with some friends. First it was freezing and then we were floating
around the waves laughing and trying to find the best wave to bodysurf
on. It got exhausting after 20 minutes, and that's okay because I have
a lot of time left here - We got here pretty early because we all
automatically woke up early, despite the fact that we went to sleep at
3AM. It wasn't a far bike ride and the breeze made the journey
perfect. Oh yeah, and yesterday I reached the Pacific Ocean after 2
months of biking across America from the east coast.

I love the beach lifestyle and mentality here. People are here
enjoying the ocean and weather. Slowing down to take a moment and
enjoy some simple luxurious things like sand. I could live here.

We stopped half a mile before reaching the beach yesterday on our
bikes. We all regrouped and waited for the 30 of us to be in the same
spot. We hugged, we sang, we took pictures and then we bravely got on
our bikes to acknowledge the ending. Meaning, we were hooting,
screaming and Timur was blowing a whistle all the way to the boardwalk
behind the sand. La Jolla beach was packed, mostly with people that
didn't know we were coming, as well a friends, family, and relatives.
People turned heads, were surprised, and Amanda fell for the first
time (twice) about 300 yards from the final destination we've been
biking to for the past 65 days. She was okay, and didn't really feel
anything because adreneline and endorphins were at very high levels.
Hopped off our bikes, alligned them on the boardwalk, then stripped
off any nonwater friendly items and bolted for the ocean. I have never
celebrated anything in my life for as long as I did with our group in
the ocean yesterday. "Shock" works, but it wouldn't quite describe how
I felt. It was almost an emotion I was confused on how to deal with
(more so now), but I was definetly elated. There was hugging,
screaming, a dance called the Cupid Shuffle, some improptu kareoke of
songs we listened to a lot this summer, lots of clapping, and
surprisingly no one crying. But maybe I just didn't see anyone because
I was blinded by all the people surrounding us in the sun, watching us
and smiling - maybe out of wonder or maybe out of respect. It was good
to scream.

Now most people are here for the next two days, but my friends have
started to peel off slowly now (after the party we had at an alumni's
house last night). Thank you, Todd. A few have flown off, some are
with family and some are with significant others they haven't seen for
days - still in San Diego. I accept that people need to go, but it's
weird and sad that these people who haved formed my experiences for
the past two months are leaving. I know I'll see some of these people
again, but the GROUP is ending and that's what is hard to say good-bye
to. Ode to the group...

We are strong, we are tenacious, and most of all we rock. My memories
are contained in the heads of all 31 of these people. That's because
their memories are mine.

I liked this summer. If you couldn't tell, I got a lot out of helping
people and biking across the country. These people I rode, napped,
ate, sweat, cried, laughed, danced, drank, hung out, waitied in line
for the bathroom, unpacked the trailer, made dinner, and snored with
were an important part of the equation. All good things must come to
an end.

I have inspired myself and hopefully others as well. There is a faith
in my peers - more than capable of being leaders and with an infinite
capacity to do great things.

Here is a great quote from Richard Bach in Illusions: Adventure of a
Reluctant Messiah -

"Argue for your own limitations, and sure enough, they're yours"

I always knew we'd get here, but now I know my limits can be streched.
What an awesome summer. Thank you for following, if you did. I hope I
did a good job and that you liked the pictures. Not sure what comes
next, but I almost guarantee you it will cower in the shadow of this
summer May 17th - July 18th 2009. Goodbye.

We made it

Photo proof.. Thoughts to follow

Less than 12 miles to the beach

Slowest 24 mile bike ride ever.

One more thing

This day really brings new meaning to the word bittersweet

Morning Tess